Beet-harvester and the like



Patented Jan. 25, 1921.

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Immar 07 127071022 OLOF r'nnivmvrnmor MALMo, SWEDEN.

BEET-I-IARVESTER AND THE LIKE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 25, 1921.

Application filed October 25, 1919. Serial No. 333,338.

To all whom it may ooncem:

Be it known that 1, Orion FRANKMAN, es-

tate owner, a citizen of the Kingdom of I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description'of the same.

It is already known in beet-harvestersand the like to use elevators for elevating the beets loosened from the ground 'by means 01 a pair of shares, and such elevators are placed close behind the shares. H the beets are not growing in a straight line or if they are pushed sidewise by the shares at the loosening they strike the edges of the elevator and just when they are going to be lifted theywill fall to the side and remain upon the ground.

My present invention has for its object to prevent the tops or beets from dropping down from. the elevator and to facilitate the removing or the tops or beets from the elevator at its upper end. 1

The invention is illustratedin the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 shows a side view oi. the elevator and adjacent parts i the machine. Fig. 2 is a rear view of the elevator. Fig. 3 is a plan View of the same and Figs. 4: and 5 show a prong of the forks thereon.

The device for loosening the beets from the ground need not be described in this con nection, said device being inountedupon the some truck which carries the elevator. lVhen the beets are to be elevated the machine is driven forward in the direction of the arrow I and the elevator runs in the direction of the arrow 11. After loosening the heels are picked up from the ground marked ET by means or the elevator. For this purpose chain elevato provided with forks in a known manner is used, which chain elevator runs over chain wheels mounted on shafts l and 2 placed in such a manner that the elevator inclines somewhat backward.

According to invention the elevator consists of a plurality o1": endless chains (in thedrawing four chains) 3, 4:, 5 and 6, all of them being provided with prongs 7, 8, 9 and 10 respectively (Fig. 3). These prongs are placed in such a manner that the prongs 7 and 8 on the two outer chains in the direc tion of movement always pass somewhat ahead of the prongs 9 and 10 on the inner chains, and if besides all of the prongs are a little curve shaped as shown in the drawing they form together a shallow cup shaped pitch-fork (compare Fi 3), in which the co beet or the like securely rests during the upward movement. A dropping sidewise is prevented by the higher prongs on the outer chains and if a beet on the ground strikes the edges of the elevator it is pushed to its center because of the location of the prongs referred to above.

A simple method to carryout this device in practice is to use chains of quite the same kind with all the prongs arranged at the same distance in relation to each other. The sprocket or chain wheels are also of the same kind but, before their fixing to the shafts the inner wheels are turned a small angle backward in relation to the outer ones and thereby the correct placing of the prongs is obtained. According to another form of construction all of the prongs are mounted on a broad chainorthc like forming an endless belt or mat, which may be perforated if so desired. The number of chains and the number of prongs in each pitch-fork may obviousy be varied according to require ments.

l have found that the tendency of the beets to be pushed sidewise is greatest when the beets first strike the elevator, 2'. e. at the lower end of the same and to preventthis during all circumstances it is advisable on the lower elevator shaft to fix a prong wheel at each side of the elevator, said wheels generally speaking enlarging the pitch forks at the moment when the beets first are picked up from the ground, and such prong wheels are also shown in the drawing. The prongs or arms 11 are all of the same form and length as the prongs 7-10 and the hubs 12 of said wheels are fixed to the shaft 2 and rotate together with the same in such a way that the prong ll pass in front of the prongs 7 and on the outer chains when the elevator is turning around the lower shaft and the sprocket wheels placed thereon. Thereby the shallow cup form of the pitchforks is maintained and they are given an enlarged width.

To prevent earth or the like being packed together between the chains and the sprocket wheels the prongs may be given a special form shown in Figs. 4: and 5. The prongs (for instance 7) at the end connected to the chain are given the form of a fork 13, which opening for the teeth 14 directly forms a link therein and covers the of the Sprocket wheels (Fig. 4).

F or removing the tops or beets from the elevator curved bars 15 aret'xed at the upper end of the same, saidbars being arranged between the chains and provided with eyes surrounding the upper shaft, from which they are bent outward and downward to form a curved bridge, along the upper side of which the tops or beets slide down into a receptacle. 'The lower ends of said bars are fixed to the framework at the upper s end of said receptacle.

Having now descrlbed my lnventlon and the manner in which it is to be performed I declare that what I claim is l. A beet-harvester comprising an elevator provided with pitch-forks for raising the beets from the ground said pitch-forks consisting of a number of prongs arranged in such a way that they together form a shallow cup, a prong wheel mounted upon the lower elevator shaft at each side of the ele- V ing of a plurality of chains, each of which is provided with curved prongs of uniform shape and displaced in relation to each other so that shallowrcup shaped pitch-f0rks are formed, a prong wheel mounted on the lower elevator shaft on both sides of the elevator, the prongs of said wheels being of the same shape as the, prongs mounted on the elevator and passing in front of the outer prongs thereon when the pitcl1-forks of the elevator are turning around the lower elevator shaft.

A beet-harvester comprising an elevator provided with pitch-forks for raising the beets from the ground, said elevator consisting of a plurality of separate chains each of which is provided with curved prongsdisplaced in relation to each other so that shallow cup shaped pitch-forks are formed, said prongs at the ends connected to the chains having the form of forks, which directly form links in said chains and cover the openingsfor the sprocket wheels therein, a prong wheel mounted on the lower elevator shaft at each side of the elevator in such a way that the prongs therein pass in front of the edges of the pitch-forks when they are turning around said lower elevator shaft.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses. v V

OLOF FRANKMAN. Witnesses: V

I-I. BRANZELL, GUNHILD PETSSON. 

